It is no surprise that there is an exceeding high level of burnt out amongst entrepreneurs and small business owners. The strange concept here is that one of the main things that attracts you to being an entrepreneur or setting up a home-based business in the first place is being the boss –setting your own schedule, not having to answer to anyone, and reaping the profits.
One of the biggest challenges is that there is no ceiling on the quantity of work that you can be doing. The mindset very quickly becomes one of work more, earn more. This is rarely the case.
As soon as the long nights, early mornings and full working weekends become the norm your productivity rapidly slows and you find yourself very quickly resenting the passionate vision you once had.
So how do you run your own business without the constant feeling like you are about to completely lose the plot?
Here’s some ways I have found to help me manage the craziness:
1. Sleep routine
This is a no brainer when it is written down, but seems to be one of the hardest things to stick to. Having a regular time that you go to be and get up helps your body systems stay in tune with what’s going and reduces the level of stress you will experience on a daily basis.
“With regular daily activities, our various body systems are able to prepare for and anticipate events. We naturally become more alert closer to our wake-up time. Our digestive systems become activated in advance of regular meal times in order to more efficiently process food. We start to relax and become sleepy prior to bedtimes. It turns out that these regular daily events serve to anchor our underlying daily rhythms.” SOURCE
2. Time off
Again, a no-brainer right? But let’s be honest, unless someone is nagging you out the door, or you have a pre-arranged social event scheduled, there is always one more email to check, a social media post to publish or bank accounts to reconcile.. Book it in. Make it a non-negotiable in your week. Make sure it is a time you know you can stick to. Even if it is just 4 or 5 hours on a weekend to start with where you leave your phone off, computer hidden, and all discussions about business behind you. 4 -5 hours will give you a taste of how much more refreshed you can feel if you commit regularly. Ideally, at least 1 whole day a week will allow you to reap the full benefits. I find that especially my creativity is sparked after time out.
3. Get help
For goodness sakes, if you are building an empire, don’t try and conquer it all on your own. Even if it is one simple task that you can give to your partner, or to a family member who is looking for a small amount of income, or even a stay-at-home mum who is just wanting something to get her mind active around sleep times etc. There are so many people out there who are not looking for full time work, and what would taking a 5 hour task out of your week actually do for you and your business??
4. Set yourself boundaries
Work hour boundaries, when you are going to do certain types of work, and how much is actually achievable in one week. Write it all down at the start of the week, and then check it off as you go. Don’t add any more to the list. If you accomplish it all by Friday morning, give yourself the afternoon off.
The reality is, you are your business – especially if you are a small business owner or just starting out. So, if you are laid up for weeks sick because of stress and burn out, your business is going to fall in a heap and you will end up much further behind than if you had decided to take an afternoon off to nurture yourself. Keep this in mind and your business and your health will flourish simultaneously.
